LONG-BILLED RUNNING BIRDS. 263 



broadly black and white make it easy to identify, 

 the long, slender, reddish bill and the stumpy tail 

 placing it beyond doubt. It rises only when com- 

 pelled, to flutter with dangling legs a short way ere 

 dropping into the first available cover. Usually a 

 silent bird, it becomes garrulous in the breeding 

 season, uttering what has been defined as a loud, 

 groaning ' Cro-o-o-an ! ' besides a liquid ' Wheel ! ' 

 principally heard at evening. 



MOORHEN 13 inches. Setting aside the Redshank, a 

 bird quite distinct in form and habit, the Moorhen is 

 the only other red-billed bird commonly frequenting 

 marshy spots ; but besides being considerably larger, it 

 is of a generally blackish plumage, with white at the 

 rides of the body and a white patch beneath the tail. 

 The red bill, however, is short. 



NOTE TO 'LONG-BILLED RUNNING BIRDS.' 



OYSTER-CATCHER 16 inches. A hump-backed, pointed- 

 winged shore-bird, with bright-red legs and very long, straight, 

 bright-red bill, using loud, piping note ; a great runner at times, 

 but because at all times boldly black and white, described under 

 ' BLACK-AND-WHITE BIRDS.' 



